Poisoned Bird
by JaggerK
Summary: When Poison Ivy gets her hands on the third Robin it's up to Catwoman to get him back - whether she's ready to or not.


Dick Grayson had discovered as he'd grown older the sweet nature and blinding smile that had all the women cooing at him as a child allowed him to literally charm the pants off most females once he was in his teens. Selina had tried in vain to discourage this behaviour. The boy was being raised in the same house as Bruce Wayne's reputation so it was somewhat futile. He somehow managed to stay on good terms with all of the women he had relationships with so at least there was that.

Selina had made an effort remain strict with the boy and not be a victim of his charm. She generally only managed it if he didn't pull out all the stops.

Selina crept silently through the deadly flora in the dark in her Catwoman garb. If Bruce could see her now he would be having to use all of his impressive skill to control his smirk at her failure to resist Dick. Although, if Bruce were here she wouldn't have been in this position in the first place.

"Babysit Robin, he said. It won't be a problem, he said." Catwoman muttered. "Bats is off world for 24 hours. Nightwing and Batgirl just have to run off with the Team real quick. Piece of cake, he said."

"Ahh, kitty's talking to herself." The sultry voice of Poison Ivy sounded from Catwoman's left just before the massive vines carried her into view. "Bats in your belfry? Oh no, wait, word around Arkham is that you and the Bat have parted company."

"Idle gossip seems beneath you, Ivy." Catwoman straightened from her crouch among the vines.

"A girl has to do something to occupy her time behind those walls." Ivy shrugged her slim shoulders.

"You mean, besides plot a way out?" Catwoman grinned at her. They had been friends, once upon a time. Ivy smiled back slyly. "Right now, you have something that belongs to me."

"Really? I can't seem to think of anything I've taken recently that might be yours." Ivy put on her best look of innocence which wasn't fooling anyone.

"I want my Bird back, Ivy." Catwoman sighed. "I know you have him."

"The new Boy Wonder is yours?" Ivy marveled. "Do you share custody? How does that work anyway, with you being a cat, him being a bird? I've always wondered that. How can I be sure he's yours?"

The vines next to Ivy began to move and revealed an unconscious Robin. Catwoman's eyes flicked over him quickly, cataloguing any injuries and her stomach pitched briefly.

"He's a Bird, he's mine." Catwoman's tone sharpened slightly. "They've always been mine."

"You aren't taking very good care of them lately." Ivy's tone was reproachful. "This one all but fell into my lap and Joker is telling glorious tales about what he did to the last one."

Selina had to take a breath before she responded. Antagonizing Ivy wasn't going to save the boy.

"You know Joker, always talking himself up."

"True." Ivy's eyes narrowed at her. "Except you beat poor Harley to within an inch of her life over it. Isn't it bad enough the clown treats her that way? You have to come along and beat on her too?"

"I shouldn't have done that." The words were ashes in her mouth. She wouldn't take back what she had done to Harley for an instant but Ivy didn't need to know that. If telling Ivy she was sorry would save Robin she would do it. "She gloated, Ivy. Gloated over every last detail of the torture Joker was going to put my baby through before he killed him. She knew where they were. I had to try to save him, had to make her tell me. She just had to tell me."

"He was already dead." Ivy's voice held an edge of pity. "There was nothing you could do."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Catwoman's voice rose. "Like that's supposed to make it better? Make it not my fault somehow? Does it make it better when your babies die and there was nothing you could do?"

Ivy ran her hand over one of her precious vines, one of her precious babies, and looked at the strong, capable woman who had once been her friend. The woman who was struggling to carry a terrible burden.

"No, it doesn't." Ivy responded softly. "You can't keep torturing yourself like this."

"Why not?" Catwoman's voice was bitter and so quiet Ivy almost didn't hear her. "What else do I have left?"

"Let me try to save your babies tonight Ivy." Catwoman looked up at the other woman. "The police are out there. They have fire and bullets. It's going to get messy. Your babies are going to die. Pull your babies back. Make them safe for the children. Turn yourself over and give me Robin. I'll convince Gordon to make them part of the park."

Ivy nodded slowly. "Can I have my garden back at Arkham?"

"It was taken away?" Ivy nodded again in response. "I'll see what I can do. You know they'll make you where the collar to lower your powers."

"I know."

The vines slowly lowered Robin to the ground and Catwoman dropped to her knees next to him.

BATCAVE

MEDBAY

Bruce had arrived back much sooner than expected. As soon as he exited the Zeta tube into the Cave Alfred met him. The butler gave him a complete report on the incident with Ivy in the park and Tim's current condition. The boy was going to be fine and was sleeping in the med bay. He was also not alone.

Bruce stopped just outside the entrance to the med bay and looked in. Tim was lying on the closest bed hooked up to machines. The IV dripped slowly and the heart monitor beeped steadily while the boy slept. On the far side of the bed in the lounge chair also asleep with one hand resting on top of Tim's was Selina.

It made his heart ache just to look at her. Was it possible that she was more beautiful than he remembered? Her eyelids started to flutter. Bruce stepped back and was gone before her eyes opened fully.

Selina stretched out her arms and legs as she looked around the med bay. She had the weird feeling of being watched but maybe Alfred had slipped in for a moment. Beside her, Tim opened his eyes and moaned.

"Hey, puss." Selina brushed his hair back. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore." The boy grimaced. "That was not fun."

"Nope, never is with Ivy." Selina grinned at him. "At least you were unconscious for the wanting to have sex with everything part."

"Eww, gross." Tim made a face. Selina laughed.

"Sometime when you really want to get even with Dick for something ask him about the first time he got hit with it." There was a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "I don't think he's ever been able to look at a fire hydrant the same way since."

"Really? A fire hydrant?" Tim was stunned.

"Let's just say it's a good thing those uniforms are difficult to get out of when you _aren't_ drugged and that there were two of us to hold the squirmy little devil down." Selina smirked and the two of them laughed together.

Selina brushed the hair that flopped back into Tim's face away again. He peered at her hopefully.

"So maybe you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Oh, puss, I was never mad at you." Selina sighed. "He should have told me but I probably wouldn't have listened to him so someone should have told me. It was a shock but it was never about you."

"You called me 'puss'." He was confused.

"All the Birds get a nickname. Kitten didn't tell you that?" She waited.

"Kitten? Who's kitten?" Understanding dawned in his eyes. "Wait? Dick? You call Dick 'kitten'? That's awesome! I bet you could tell me the best stories about Dick. Alfred doesn't tell those kinds of stories and Bruce just tells Robin stories."

Selina's heart hurt for the boy in front of her. Bruce just told Robin stories? "What you want is the dirt on big brother. I can do that."

As Alfred approached the medbay he heard the sound of voices and laughter. He smiled to himself and turned to go. He could check on the young master later. Yes, it seemed Master Timothy was going to be good for the family.


End file.
